Coupling-governor.



UNITED STATES Patented December 15, 1903.

. PATENT OFFICE.

COUPLING-GOVERNOR.

SPECFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,715, dated December15, 1903.

Application filed September 29, 1902. Serial No. 125|2l3. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. LINDSAY, a citizen of .the United States,residing at Milwaukee, county of-Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Coupling- Governors, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in coupling-governors forthreshing-machine feeders.

The object of my invention is to provide a form of governing devicewhich will be sensitive to slight variations in the speed of theYthreshing-cylinder, whereby the feed will be stopped as Soon as thecylinder ceases to revolve at the required speed and resumed in theshortest practical interval after the requisite speed is again attained.

In the following description reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the front end of athreshing-machine and a self-feeder therefor equipped with my invention.Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side view of the governing mechanism. Fig.3 is an endA view of the governing device. the eccentric and opposingends of the split ring, and Fig. 5 is detail view of a modified form ofthe spring-adj usting mechanism.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

1 is a shaft to which Ymy improved governing device is applied. 2 is apulley loose on the shaft, and 3 is a ring rigidly connected with thepulley. Within the ring 3 is a split ring 4., which is adapted to beexpanded into contact with the ring 3, serving ias a clutch. This ring 4is supported from a hub 5 by an arm 6, and the hub is secured .rigidlyto the shaft by a screw 7 or other suitable key, whereby the hub andsplit ring et are caused to turn with the shaft. An eccentric block 10is adjusted between the opposing ends of the ring 4, serving as anexpander. This block is held in position by a stem -11, pivotallyconnected with an arm 12, which projects from the hub, as shown. Alever13 is secured tothe pivot-stem and provided with a governing-weight 14,which is supported in a position to be thrown outwardly by centrifugalforce when the supporting-shaft is revolved.

15 is a spring connected at one end'with Fig. 4 is a detail view of thehub and at the other end with the lever, means being provided, such asthe screwthreaded connecting-bolt 16, for regulating the tension of thespring. In the construction shown a compression-spring isused, the samebeing connected with the lever on the opposite side of the pivot from,that to which the weight is attached; but any suitable form ofconnection or adjustment may be employed in which the spring is made tooperate in opposition to the outward movement of the weight. In-Fig. 5the spring is connected with a block 17, sbiftable longitudinally of thelever by means of an adjusting-screw 18, swiveled to the block andhaving screwthreaded bearings in the end of the lever. When the speed ofthe shaft 1 is such as to throw the weight outwardly in opposition tothe action of the spring, the eccentric block 10 will be turned in itsposition between the opposing ends of the ring 4, and the blockis formedto increasingly separate'the endsgof the ring when so turned, wherebythe ring is expanded into forcible contact with the ring 3. The latter,together with the pulley 2, will then be revolved. As soon 4as the speedof the shaft 1decreases the spring 15 draws in the governing-weight,when the torque and also the resilience of the metal composing -ring 4will cause it to contract as soon as the block 10 is turned and ashorter diameter interposed between the ring ends.

In the drawings I have shown a second lever 20, pivotally secured to thearm 6 and ring l and provided with a governing-weight 21. The lever 2Ois connected with the lever 13 by suitable links 23, whereby the twolevers and Weights connected therewith are made to cooperate. Theprincipal object of duplicating the levers and weights is to balance theparts.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have illustrated the connections of myimproved coupling.

The band cuttingv knives vmounted on shaft 1, which is driven from the(not shown) are shaft 30 of the threshing-machine cylinder by means of abelt 3l and pulleys 32 and 33 of ordinary type. The pulley is partiallybroken away to show the coupling. The couplingpulley 2 drives a shaft 35of the shaking-pans through the medium of the belt 36 and pulley 37, andmotion is communicated from the ICO shaft 35 to the conveyer by otherbelt-andpulley connections, (indicated in the drawings by dotted lines.)My invention, however, is not limited to any specific construction orarrangement of the connecting parts, as it will be understood that thecoupling may be applied at any point between the power-transmitting ordriving mechanism of the thresher and the conveyer of the feeder and theregulating spring and governorweight adjusted in correspondence with thespeed at that point. With the described construction the frictionalcontacting surface of the expanding ring is so great and the movementinto and out of contact so short that a slight movement of thegoverning-weights is sufficient to start or stop the conveyer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a-threshing-machine; of a feeding-conveyertherefor; an expansion-ring having its central portion attached to asuitable support connected with the driving mechanism of the thresher; arim encircling the expansion-ring and connected to drive the conveyor;an eccentric block pivotally mounted upon the expansion-ring support,between suitable frictional-contact abutments on opposite sides of theseparating-point of the ring but with said block unconnected with thering; and governing- Weights connected to oscillate said block; saidblock having eccentric projections adapted to move in wedgingfrictionalcontact with the expansion-ring abutments, whereby said ring is expandedby direct frictional pressure against said abutments.

2. The combination with a threshing-machine; of a feeding-conveyertherefor; asupporting-shaft connected with the driving mechanism of thethreshing-machine; radially-projecting arms rigidly connected with theshaft; a split ring having its central portion connected with one ofsaid arms; an eccentric block pivotally connected with another of saidarms and located between the end portions of the ring;governing-weights; aud lever connections between the weights and saideccentric block; said block being disconnected from the abuttingportionsof the ring but adapted to bear against and spread the same whenoscillated.

3. The combination with a threshing-machine; of a feeding-governortherefor; an expansion-ring having its central portion attached to asuitable support connected with the driving mechanism of the thresher; arim encircling the expansion-ring and connected to drive /the conveyor;an eccentricblock pivotally mounted on the expansion-ring snpport,between suitable frictional contact abutments on opposite sides of theseparating-point of the ring but unconnected with the ring; andspring-controlled governingweights having levers linked together and lcon uected with the block at its pivotal axis;

said block having eccentric projections adapted to move in wedgingfrictional contact with the expansion-ring abutments, whereby said ringis expanded by direct frictional pressure against said abutments.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM D. LINDSAY. Witnesses:

F. I-I. LINDSAY, W. L. EsLIEN.

